Extension car-steps.



G. E. QUIGGLE.

EXTENSION CAR STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I3, 1915 1,143.433. Patented June 15, 1515.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- ff ffl'- G. E. 011115915. EXTENsqON CAR STEPS. APPLICATIONYFILED MAR.13. 19l5.

1,14?,433D Patented nine 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

e0/'fai dugg@ @wmf/@f @hmm/13e B'eit known that I, G'ii QiiIeGLE, va citizen" of the YUnited States, "residinigf'at Fruitdale7 in the county of lYashiiigton and State of Alabama, have inventedjjcertain new and usefullmprovements inEvztension Car- Step`,'snojffl wh'` thejollowing'j'i's a specifieatio` l J Y elate to extenfreni;

The object foldable extension with novel lifting means for the extension sections whereby to retract the devicek into anV inoperative. position en. tirelyk-yfolded ,outfof theway,and beneath of my device isto provide, a

the -supportfoinfigh entensib' A"' teps It is eomrr d? @filling kng' ,I1-MHS for ,ie aining' able; parts yin `l`their other objectsas'mayfhereinater appear arer attainedr by; the novel construction, combination andarrangement ot parts to be `hereinafter specifically described and claimed.

Reference.` will now be liad.to the accompanying drawings forminga ,part of this specication,'.ivherein:L A -v fffisautefserentelet angembodt ment of my invention showing the same in extended, :positions Figs -si de elevationfsherins@ .ietedffsif Closed rosition othe extension stepstjinsdotted lines. Fig. 3 is arear elevation. lfigiw-,eis a detail lview of the guiding means forthe actuating members. Fig. is a perspective view of the lifting lever usedWith-'myf'deviee f UNITEDsTArEszr GEORGEE. kUrsem, or inumana, ALABAMA* a ew tofacilithe Icar .platvi si te" i Each of these step` sections-3 andcomprise i5 hingedly i connected to the upper .stepH section l v.the usual backl member and vatread member,v ,j

designated 3', 3, and 5, 5 respectively l The Amechanism employed forope'rating my dericewillnow be desembed.;l fivotally .mounted upon' theba'Ck portion of` "the iiiedfA [.step`2at`7` disposed ya lifting lever 8 most distinctly shown in Figs. 3 and, said leYer being adapted to more in ayrertical plane .adjacentto the back of the fixed Ste-p 2 hereinbefore mentioned. n, anintermediate point on the'back ofthefixed step. are se-A members 9 `between wh ed a guide lblockl 10.

As will be noted by reference to Fig.v 4 the` y ich is slidably mount- 10 for interlocking engagement with the guide. members 9 and is also'provided with a transverse opening 11" through which eX- tendsthelfree end of the lifting lever. 8, said block obviouslyfbeing -slidable upon -sa-id lever as welles between its guide-members. upon movement of .the leverupwardlyor downwardly. the extension sections of this device are a pluralit)7 ofactuatingnmembers which are preferably'cables, rods, or the` like and desigcured vertically arranged spacedr guide '75 guide block issuitably grooved laterallyat Intermediate the lever and i -fnate'd 12.12', each 'of said members beingV connected at one e'nd' to,the-block ,10 and at the other end-t0; the trea'd member -3 of the upper step section 3. The-'connections of' the 'members tdt-lie.-tre'ad"3` lare arranged inl Vspaced relation" infordfer tog*facilitate 'the proper actuation ofthe-"step sections andthe back element 3 VVoffthefupper stepsection 3 is formed with a plurality ofopenings 13 through which said' actuating members pass.`

It `will beobvious-from the foregoing dej scription that whenthe extension steps described are in their extended position they willy be retracted upon depressionof the upper end of the lifting lever 8, the lifting action of the leverv c'ajusingmovement of the slide block 1 l0 upwardly between its' guides and actuating the connecting' 'members`12,`

into' `Aaiposition shown linesin" Fig. 2. Y

Inforder to, suppo'rtf the eiitensioirsections, 'I provide at each. side a jointed' brace rod 12 which 'retract or ydrawthesten sections '"mosticle'arly in dotted Y member 3V of the upper section 3 and at its f connected at its lower .end to the tread upper end extending through the back 3 of saidv section. y

At 15. is designated a spring which is adapted lto cushion the fall of the extension sections into the operative -position shown lin lFigs'. 1, 2 and?) and the brace rods adequately support the upper step section when l in such position. To provide for the proper folding of vrthe' step sections I arrange@ certain arms and links at each side of the steps asewillnowvbe described. Secured to the 'back member 3of the upper step 'section at each side is an arm 16 extending forwardly and to the. outer ends of these arms is pivotally vconnected the extremities of a bent rod 17, the transverse portion `of which passes adjacent the'rback member- 5 of the step section 5 and being disposed in suitable keepers 18 carried by this element. At an inte. mediate point in the bent extremities of t ie red 17, as at V19 are pivotally connected the links 20 each of which connects with a corresponding. rigid rearwardly extending arm 21 carried by the tread element 5 of the sten section 5.

Bearing the f foregoing description in mind,'i t will be understood thatas the actuating members 12 retract the step sections, the arms 16 above Amentioned-will cause the rod member 17 tomove downwardly on the back -5 in the keepers 18 carriedi thereby and such movement`will cause the t 'cad secstion 5f' to be raised through the pressure 'incidentalto the movement of the rod,=17"" and through lthe links 20. The lower stepsection 5 is, therefore, folded and. likewise the upper section 3 is caused to be folded by lifting'action of the actuating members 12 so that thevarious elements will assumethe dotted line position shown inFig. 2 of the tuated releasing arm 25 extending through an arcuate slot in the back of the xed step.

member .2, said slot being designated 26.v

When it -is desired to retract the extension sten.;v the operator places his foot upon the arm 25 disengaging the dog by rotation of said latch about the,b,ar as its axis from'the lug-23, a continued .pressurel enabling the .1ifting arm to be raised and the block 10 to v 'be v,simil/arly:elevated., in turn actuating the members :12, .12 for withdrawal of the extension steps. At a position spaced from the latch 22 at the oppositev side of the pivot 7 for the lifting bar 8 a second latch 27 is disposed, this latch corresponding -in all details to the latch 22 hereinbefore described. f

This latch-has also a releasing armas will be understood which extends through an arcuate slot 28 formed in the back of the fixed step 2- and engagesover a lug 29 when the lever has been lifted for retractionof the extension steps thereby holding 4the steps in folded position. In Iorder to most adef quately support the steps in folded position 1' just mentioned and to relieve strain upon -the lever 8 and its partsy I preferably provide as a support anindependent latch with which latch the steps engage as they are brought into the raised position. yThis latch is most clearly shown in E ig. 8 and has formed thereon a releasing arm. 31

member 30 at one side of the fixed step 2 .which is accessible to the operator in that said arm projects through the back of the the -step 2. To release the steps the latch 30 is disengaged whereupon the operator will place his foot Aupon the releasing arm of' the latch member 27 disengaging said latch and the steps will immediately gravitate to Y A .their extended position, assisted l*by actuy ation through the rod connection 12 which operates in a slot 12 in the step'2. v

Theforegoing describes a simple method l of providing an extension arrangement for 'car steps and it will be obvious that slight changes may `readily be vmade inthe details of the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope ofthe claims hereto appended.

Having thusdeseribed my invention, what I claim as new is:`

1. `A11 extension car step construction comprising` folding step sections adapted' to be extended from a car, means for retracting y a lifting lever, actuating means intermedii I i .ate the step sections and the lever, and guidthe sections into folded position comprising ing means'including a movable part operatively connected tothe lever and to the actuating means for maintaining operative 2. An extension car step construction comvf prising folding step sections adapted to be extended from a car, means for retracting the sections into folded position comprising a'lifting lever, actuating means intermedi-l ate the step sections and the lever, and guide means ,slidably connected to the lever and also having connection with the actuating'-y means, said guide means being movable in a vertical plane by the lifting lever.

3. 'An extension car step construction comprising folding step sections adapted to be `extended from a-car, rmeans for retractmg the'. sections into folded position comprising l" relationI between these parts when actuated. i

a lifting lever, actuating means intermediate the step sections and the lever, and guiding means establishing operative connection between the lever and the actuating means, said guide means including a block shiftable on the lever during movement of the latter whereby to impart lifting action in a vertical plane to the actuating means.

fl. An extension car step construction com-v prising a pair of step sections, each consisting. of a tread and back elements, a lifting lever carried by the car, an actuating member connected with one of the sections aforesaid, guide means to which member is connected slidable on the lever and having sliding connection with the car, and actuating means intermediate ythe elements of each section for folding and unfolding of the elements uponvactuation of the steps4 by the lifting lever aforesaid.

5. An extension car step construction comprising in combination with a support, a lifting lever pivoted on the support, a block through which the lever extends shiftable therealong, guide means for the block on the support whereby the block is adapted to move in a vertical plane, foldable stepsec tions connected to the support 'for eXtension and retraction, and a plurality of actuating connections intermediate the block and the step sections. v

G. An extension car step construction com prising in combination, a support, a lifting levez' pivotally mounted for movement in a vertical plane adjacent to the support, spaced guide members carried by said 'support, a slidable guide block the spaced guide members and having an opening therethrough through Which the lifting lever extends, foldable step sections hingedly connected together and to the support aforesaid, actuating connections intermedithe guiding ate the step sections and the lguide block aforesaid, jointed brace means for cushioning and supporting the step sections when in extended position, and means connected to the step, sectionelements for imparting folding action thereto upon actuation of the lifting lever aforesaid.

An extension car step construction comprising folding step sections adapted to be extended from a car, means for retracting operable between the sections into folded position comprising apivoted lifting lever, actuating means intermediate the step sections and the lever, and spaced llocking members at' opposite sides of Athe pivot of the lever for holding the lever in either of its operated positions.

' 8. An extension car prising in combination with a support, a lifting lever pivoted on the' support, a lockstep construction coming member on said lever for holding the' I' lever in inoperative position, said member including a support engaging dog and a foot actuating arm, foldable step sectionsy connected to the support, and actuating means l0. An extensin car lstep construction comprising in combination a support, a lifting lever pivoted adjacent to one end thereof to said by said lever in spaced relation and disposed thereon at opposite sides of the pivot to said lever, each lockingfmember having a releasing arm, the said support having slots through Which the releasing arm aforesaid extend, 'foldable step sections hingedly connected to the support, actuating cables con nected at one end to the step sections, guide means to which the other end of said cables are connected, said guide means comprising a vvertically movable block slidably carried by the lifting lever, bers on the support with which said guide block interlockingly engages, and' an independent locking means carried by the support for maintaining the step sections, in folded retracted position.

In testimony whereof I afHx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE E. QUIGGLE. Witnesses:

B. E. Gonny, W. Hoornn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing' the Commissions-'of Patents,-

Wnhlnrton, D. C.

support,- lQcking members carried and spaced guide mem- 

